1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to protective sleeves for in-ground fence or sign posts or the like, and more particularly to such a protective sleeve providing a means for excluding moisture from between the sleeve and the post.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Fisher, U.S. Pat. No. 94,195 teaches a design for a post support, such design showing a box-like construction with a chisel lower edge and an open top for receiving a square post. Side fins extend from two opposing sides of the support.
Banks, U.S. Pat. No. 1,402,561 teaches post support providing a cylindrical receiver, chisel lower edge, disk shaped cap portion, and outwardly and downwardly extending stabilizing teeth.
Knowles, U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,231 teaches a post support for permanent installation at or below ground level including a post receiving collar affixed to fins. The fins have collar supporting shoulders against which a post may rest. A driver/cap/marker has a cap and sleeve with sleeve length the same as the collars length so that when the driver/cap/marker is inserted into the collar the lower edge of the sleeve rests on the shoulders and the underside of the cap/marker rests on top of the collar. The driver/cap/marker serves firstly as a tool for inserting the support into the ground and secondly as a cover for an unused support, and thirdly for marking the location of an unused collar.
Wells, U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,663 teaches a ground anchor for a post including an elongated vertically extending cylindrical PVC tube and including at the lower end of the tube an end member having a cylindrical portion snugly and frictionally fit within the tube and a conical portion projecting downwardly from the tube to a point, the end member having thereon within the tube an upwardly facing drive surface. An elongate driving member is removable insertable into the tube and has at one end a driving which is engageable with the free surface on the end member. In a variation, the tube has at the upper end a collar which includes an axially extending annular flange snugly fit within the upper end of the tube and a further annular flange projecting radially outwardly from the support end of the axial flange.
The prior art teaches certain means for protecting the bruied end of a post or beam. However, the prior art does not teach a fitted sleeve having means for extending the length of coverage of the protection and does not teach a monolithic capping means with an inclinded sidewall or peripheral gasket, adapted for intimate contact with the post. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.